บท 101: Desert Peril
The story rewinds to one day earlier.
In the Middle East, within the western part of a desert country, deep in the arid expanse of the desert, a rugged off-road vehicle sped across the sand dunes.
Inside the vehicle sat a woman dressed in white, her head wrapped in a patterned keffiyeh, and a man in black robes and a headscarf. The backseat was piled with guns and ammunition.
After a while, the vehicle came to a stop near an oasis. The man and woman stepped out, weary from their journey, and began replenishing their water supplies and eating to regain their strength.
In the silence that followed, the man finally broke the stillness.
"Ruth, this desert is too vast. We need more precise information if we're to find anything."
Ruth's eyes dimmed briefly, but she firmly shook her head.
"Jack, the informant is dead. There's no way to get a more accurate lead."
"But if we keep searching like this, even a year from now, we might not find Elena."
"Then if it takes a year, we'll search for a year. If it takes ten years, or a hundred, I'll keep looking until I find my sister!"
"What if Elena is already dead?"
At this, a flicker of sorrow crossed Ruth's face.
"Then those traffickers will pay with their lives. Every last one of them will die for what they've done."
Seeing Ruth's determination, Jack knew better than to argue further.
After a brief rest, the two returned to the vehicle, though Ruth hesitated to start the engine. Sitting behind the wheel, she suddenly spoke in a low voice.
"Jack, if you want to give up, you can. Go back. I'll continue on my own."
Jack immediately shook his head and looked at Ruth with deep emotion.
"No way. Your sister is my sister. I'll never give up."
Saying this, he reached for Ruth's hand, his grip firm yet comforting.
Ruth was touched by his words. Slowly, she leaned closer, her lips approaching his.
But before their kiss could happen, the sound of an approaching engine broke the moment.
Both of them quickly turned toward the source of the noise.
Surrounded by trees and tall grass, the oasis obscured their view of what lay beyond.
Jack spoke in a hushed voice, "It could be those traffickers. They'll need water too; they can't stay out in the desert forever."
Ruth nodded, her expression suddenly serious.
The two grabbed their weapons and ammunition, climbing into the nearby trees to observe.
Before long, a modest-looking convertible jeep appeared, carrying two men clad in gray cloaks and veils. The jeep's backseat was filled with water barrels, and the sight of it dampened Ruth's hope.
Jack, however, seemed energized. He whispered in Ruth's ear, "Two men with this much water? It's more than they could drink themselves. And they seem familiar with this place—this isn't their first time here. I'd bet they're connected to the group that took Elena."
Ruth's resolve reignited at Jack's analysis.
After the men filled their barrels and left, Ruth and Jack trailed them at a safe distance in their vehicle.
The desert offered few roads, making it easy to follow without being seen. Still, Jack raised his hands, and an invisible energy ripple shimmered around the vehicle.
Thanks to Jack's ability to bend light, the vehicle blended seamlessly into its surroundings, almost invisible unless viewed up close.
After about ten minutes, the jeep ahead veered off the road and into the open desert.
Ruth followed, keeping her distance.
The trail led them over a sandy ridge, where they finally spotted a decrepit building surrounded by barbed wire. A few other off-road vehicles were parked outside, but the two men had disappeared inside.
Ruth frowned at the sight of the lonely structure.
"This old house? How many people could it even hold?"
Jack, however, was excited. Grabbing Ruth's hand, he said, "There's definitely more to this. Those men took all that water—there's no way they're the only ones here. There's probably a hidden base below."
"Or they just plan to stay here for a while."
"That makes it even stranger. Why camp out here, in the middle of nowhere, unless there's something important?"
Reluctantly persuaded by Jack, Ruth regained some confidence. The two exited their vehicle and cautiously approached the building.
Jack soon pointed out multiple security cameras mounted along the barbed wire.
"There are cameras everywhere," he whispered. "They're covering every angle. We would've been spotted by now without my ability."
With careful movements, they reached the gate, where Ruth effortlessly snapped the chain with her hands, revealing her own extraordinary strength.
Inside the dilapidated house, they were met with an eerie sight—no one was there.
The two men from earlier had vanished.
"They've gone underground," Jack murmured, pointing to the floor.
Ruth nodded and moved toward a door but was stopped by Jack.
"Don't. If there's a camera inside, we'll be exposed."
"Then how do we get in?"
"Every underground base has ventilation ducts. We'll find one and use it."
It didn't take long for them to locate a vent outside the building. Ruth bent the bars apart with her bare hands, and they crawled inside.
After a slow, cautious descent, they finally reached the base below.
Now at risk of discovery, the two relied on hand signals to communicate.
Jack gestured for Ruth to follow, leading the way through the narrow duct.
Eventually, voices reached their ears.
"Hurry up. The doctor wants this burned before we head back."
"Ugh, I can't do this anymore. Burning bodies every day is unbearable."
"Shh! Keep it down. You want to end up in the fire yourself?"
"How many have we processed this month? And these corpses... they're getting more and more bizarre."
"I heard the experiments are almost successful. Once they're done, we'll be free."
"You think we'll get to be like them if it works?"
Jack and Ruth exchanged a grim look, their hearts heavy with what they had overheard.
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